Wednesday, March 19, 2025 | Pink Piggies Lessons

Lesson #11

Have you enjoyed the singable books we have shared in class this semester? Your local library is likely to have a few. (Also, Let's Play Music has printed several of their own that you can purchase!) Even if books are not ‘singable’, they are still a great way to connect with your child at home. Fun Fact: if you spend just 20 minutes per day reading with your child, during the course of the year you will have accumulated over 120 hours of quality time with him.

Next week we'll sing these songs in class:

• Let's Count Our Money
• Doggie, Doggie, Where's Your Bone?
• Bow Wow Wow
• DO Pentatonic Scale
• Grandma's Glasses
• Take Me Out to the Ballgame
• The Happy Farmer
• To Market
• My Little Rooster
• Zoodeo
• De Colores

I still have openings in Sound Beginnings and my 1st Year Let's Play Music classes. I've also got an evening Sound Beginnings class for working parents! Register today and get the early bird special: no $20 registration fee! If you know of anyone who might be interested, I'm holding a free preview class Monday at March 24th @ 5:30 for LPM and 6:30 for SB. PLEASE share this link to any friends you think might be interested in music classes! 
https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/free-preview-classes-at-musik-me-studio-1756869 Also, I LOVE having current students at my preview classes. Please sign up if you are able to come to either or both of the classes. I can't do "make up" classes, but you can think of this as being a bonus class if you ever missed one... or even if you didn't!

Are you still working on your Spirit Month BINGO worksheets? I will have drawings for a MINI YOTO PLAYER, an mp3 player, egg shakers, cage bell set, tambourines, singable storybooks, CASH ($20, $10 & $5), and MORE! You can download the BINGO worksheet from your student portal if you need another one. They will be due on lesson #12, where you or your child get to decide which prizes you want to put your tickets toward! I'll do the drawing the following Friday.

Children are known to sing spontaneously because it is joyous, playful, personal, expressive, and creative. Their natural desire to imitate can help develop their singing voice, and even very young children can learn to match pitch and sing simple melodies correctly. Sound Beginnings’ activities are designed to foster the desire to sing and the repertoire purposefully falls within a comfortable singing range for children—typically the pitches from middle C to treble C (just like our tone bells!).

Optional home fun activity: Do the Grandma’s Glasses activity on page 21            
(Remember, these activities are optional but can be a great bonding experience to do with your child during the week.)  

Did you know that animals can "speak" in a different language also? Watch this video to learn the names of other farm animals and what they say in Spanish!

Sound Beginnings is education through musical play! It prepares children for success in Kindergarten and Let’s Play Music. Sound beginnings provides research-based elements that stimulate growth in the areas particularly crucial to the development of the young child. These elements make up the foundation of the Sound Beginnings curriculum.  Here is just one:
	Little hands need to be strong in order to perform life and learning skills such as dressing oneself and writing. In class, students gain finger dexterity and hand strength as they participate in finger plays to favorite nursery rhymes and manipulate tactile props and instruments.

Have a musical day!          
-Ms. Bethany :)

Tuesday, March 18, 2025 | Orange Roots Lessons

Lesson #11

Notice that this week your child will be practicing most of the same things as Lesson #10. Here's a video that covers some of the songs they will be practicing this week. PLEASE have your child watch it if they are struggling with the songs in the homework this week! 

Be sure your child practices any new changes we have made to the composition. We have almost all finished our compositions and they sound great! I’m so proud of all my Orange Roots! Please make sure that your child practices their composition EVERY DAY. Use theory assignment #11 to help your student introduce their recital piece. They should practice saying it out loud EACH TIME they practice their composition. I want them to be prepared and confident at our recital.

The progress that we have made in developing our compositions has been exciting. Our homework is preparing us to perform our composition at our recital. Look how cute this spider is as he introduces his composition!

Practicing Help (Homework)

Composition Help

Here is a link to all the skills videos as well as the link to be able to purchase a class video to make up for a missed class. (tap or scan)

Have a musical day!
-Ms. Bethany :)

Tuesday, March 18, 2025 | Blue Bugs Lessons

Lesson #11

GREAT things are happening in class! I’m excited and enthused to see them learn and grow each time they come to class. Thank you for "playing" music with them and being such great consistent parents!

Please send your child with their bug flashcards along with their homework books next week! We're going to be playing our fly swatter game with the flashcards again!

Registration for next year is open for current students and we are at the final stages! You do have until April 30th to register and enroll your student for 2nd year, but if you register by March 28th, you don't have to pay the $20 registration fee! I realize some of you are waiting on other details before finalizing your class time. Just be sure you watch the deadline so you don't get a late registration processing fee.

Do you know someone who would LOVE Let's Play Music? I'm doing a few FREE PREVIEW CLASSES in the coming weeks. The next classes are Monday, March 24th at 2:00 and 5:30. Don't forget to give your referral code to your friends (or on Facebook groups) so you can get your $20 referral credit on your next class! There are also free Sound Beginnings classes if you have younger children or know someone who does.

On Top of Spaghetti
Today we talked about the word harmony as we sang and played “On Top of Spaghetti”. The students know harmony is two different sounds that sound good together. Learning to sing harmony helps them to sing in tune and stay on their part. It develops the inner ear and lays a solid foundation for becoming a complete musician.

Baby Bumblebee
Sing this well known song with your child this week. I will be asking them about it in class the next week and I want them to be familiar with it.     
      
Baby Bumblebee
      
Those little frogs LOVE to go "a-hoppin'!!" Want to make your own hoppin' frog? Watch this video.   

Here is a link to all the skills videos as well as the link to be able to purchase a class video to make up for a missed class. (tap or scan)

Have a musical day!
-Ms. Bethany :)

Thursday, March 13, 2025 | Yellow Arrows Lessons

Lesson #10

This week we played broken chords with the LH. It is imperative we play all chords with correct fingerings as this transfers over to every chord structure with all 12 major and 36 minor keys!!!

Continue to solidify the Right Hand, RH, and LH Red, Blue, and Yellow Chords! Watch that fingering, it makes a big difference when done correctly. (I can tell that some of the students aren't practicing it correctly at home because they aren't doing it correctly in class!)

Celebrate Connection

A few ideas to make practice more playful!

• One day this week, have Mom or Dad be the student. Show them where to place their hands, what chord/note to play, how to look up at the notes, and YOU point to each note as they play. Watch for nice bubble hands! Sometimes being a teacher is the best way to prove that you've learned something!
• Play your piece backwards. Start on the last measure and work your way to the front.
• Play through your piece replacing Mr. Rests with a "shh"

Registration is now open for current students! Classes are just about full for next fall! Thanks to those that have already registered for 3rd Year. Remember, in 3rd year the parents only come five times a semester!

I still have a few openings in Sound Beginnings and my 1st Year Let's Play Music classes. I've also got an evening Sound Beginnings class for working parents! If you know of anyone who might be interested, I'm holding a free preview class Monday at March 24th @ 5:30 for LPM and 6:30 for SB. PLEASE share this link to any friends you think might be interested in music classes! https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/free-preview-classes-at-musik-me-studio-1756869 Also, I LOVE having current students at my preview classes. Please sign up if you are able to come to either or both of the classes. I can't do "make up" classes, but you can think of this as being a bonus class if you ever missed one... or even if you didn't!

Are you still working on your Spirit Month BINGO worksheets? I will have drawings for a MINI YOTO PLAYER, an mp3 player, egg shakers, cage bell set, tambourines, singable storybooks, CASH ($20, $10 & $5), and MORE! I have attached the worksheet again, if you need another copy. They will be due on lesson #12, where you or your child get to decide which prizes you want to put your tickets toward! I'll do the drawing the following Friday.

The Wheels on the Bus sing Melodic Patterns
Melodic patterns are found in every song. How many Sol-Mi-Do’s and Sol-Sol-Do’s can you hear in this version of a favorite childhood song?    
     
I Gotta Shake    
Get ready to play the rests in this silly song! Our fingers must rest from playing or holding down the note when we see a quarter rest sign. 1st say ‘sh’ or ‘rest’ while playing. Then play again hearing the rest inside while playing the silence in the song.    
     
How to Skip    
Keep skipping with fingers 1-3-5 in the RH saying the middle anchor notes. Play the LH separate while singing 1st the chord color and 2nd the melody with this favorite song. We will put hands together soon!    
     
Tinga Layo    
Duet time with shakers! Invite your child to play the chords on the piano while you or a sibling play "shoot-the-bug-bug" rhythm with a shaker. Switch! Make your own shaker with rice, beans, pennies, small beads, etc. in a plastic egg, empty spice container, or baby food jar. Shake away!

Charles Gounod was born in 1818 in Paris, France. His mom was a piano teacher and his father was an artist, so he started receiving music instruction very early in his life. He attended excellent musical schools. By the time he was 21, he was receiving awards and prizes for his compositions. He also taught other musicians, most notably, Georges Bizet. Today people still recognize his songs, O Divine Redeemer, Ave Maria, and Funeral March for a Marionette (our current puppet show known as March of the Gnomes!) Can you hear the kings heavy down beat in this recording?

Here is a link to all the skills videos as well as the link to be able to purchase a class video to make up for a missed class. (tap or scan)

Have a musical day!
-Ms. Bethany :)

Wednesday, March 12, 2025 | Pink Piggies Lessons

Lesson #10

It’s hard to believe but we are just 5 classes away from the end of the semester. If you are ready for even more fun, you can register for the next round of musical adventure--White Horses! Remember, if you register by March 25th, you will get 5 entries in the drawings for Spirit Month! You can find more information on my web site: www.musikandme.com  Please let me know if you have any questions!

Next week we'll sing these songs in class:

• Ten Little Pennies
• Doggie, Doggie, Where's Your Bone?
• Name the Instruments (maracas, Baritone, Piccolo, Xylophone, Ukulele)
• Grandma's Glasses
• Take Me Out to the Ballgame
• Polly Wolly Doodle
• The Happy Farmer
• My Little Rooster
• Count Your Blessings

I still have a few openings in Sound Beginnings and my 1st Year Let's Play Music classes. I've also got an evening Sound Beginnings class for working parents! If you know of anyone who might be interested, I'm holding a free preview class Monday at March 24th @ 5:30 for LPM and 6:30 for SB. PLEASE share this link to any friends you think might be interested in music classes! https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/free-preview-classes-at-musik-me-studio-1756869 Also, I LOVE having current students at my preview classes. Please sign up if you are able to come to either or both of the classes. I can't do "make up" classes, but you can think of this as being a bonus class if you ever missed one... or even if you didn't!

Are you still working on your Spirit Month BINGO worksheets? I will have drawings for a MINI YOTO PLAYER, an mp3 player, egg shakers, cage bell set, tambourines, singable storybooks, CASH ($20, $10 & $5), and MORE! I have attached the worksheet again, if you need another copy. They will be due on lesson #12, where you or your child get to decide which prizes you want to put your tickets toward! I'll do the drawing the following Friday.

Learning music in a group setting has many advantages. Sound Beginnings classes naturally encourage participation and exploration in ways a private setting does not. Groups provide opportunities for repetition that is fun and engaging, expose children to teamwork and collaboration, and allow children to meet and learn from a peer group. Besides all of that, making music with others is just plain fun!

Optional home fun activity: Practice counting pennies in the piggy bank on page 23           
(Remember, these activities are optional but can be a great bonding experience to do with your child during the week.)  

What do you think of our new dance song "The Happy Farmer"? Watch this video to see our song being played by real instruments!

Sound Beginnings is education through musical play! It prepares children for success in Kindergarten and Let’s Play Music. Sound beginnings provides research-based elements that stimulate growth in the areas particularly crucial to the development of the young child. These elements make up the foundation of the Sound Beginnings curriculum.  Here is just one:
	In class we experience steady beat and imitate rhythmic patterns with our voices, bodies, and through hands-on use of instruments. We incorporate Eurythmics, which is movement-based rhythm training that is perfect for toddlers!

Have a musical day!         
-Ms. Bethany :)